Each day, thousands of Japanese parents send their children off to school with homemade bento lunch boxes. In Japanese, bento art is called キャラ弁 , and it’s a popular tradition that involves turning food into tiny edible works of art. One Filipino mom, Nikki Garcia, loves this style of art. She also loves making her kids’ lunches, so getting into bento art seemed only natural. Garcia combines her appreciation for the Japanese art form with her desire to encourage her kids to eat healthy.
See her amazing bento-inspired meals below. Bento 59 ?. “Always be yourself; express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it” … Unless of course, it’s in the form of a Bruce Lee bento. • • • chicken filled onigiri, fried rice we/ egg, vegetable gyoza, corn on the cob, chicken nuggets and pineapple crisps #nikkimbento #brucelee #yinandyang #yinyang #80skid #legendary #classic #tbt #throwbackthursday #kiddiebento #toddler #toddlerlunch #toddlersnack #snacktime #foodie #foodieph #instafood #potd #nomnomnom #yummy #bentoeveryday #creativefood #bentoart #homemade #pinoyeats #noms #bentoboxlunch @cole_hernandez A photo posted by Nikki Garcia (@nikkimbento) on Oct 22, 2015 at 2:05am PDT.
Bento 58. A snack-box for an extra life. A “one-up” for my no-longer kid brother, @spellhappy.
I think our fondest childhood memories were spent in front of the Nintendo, when I would play for hours, and gave him a remote that was actually unplugged so he thought he was playing along. ✌. • • • Breaded chicken breast, bite-size caprese, steamed broccoli, scrambled egg and kimchi rice #Bento #bentoph #bentobox #bentobaon #charaben #kyaraben #kawaii #kawaiifood #kawaiibento #characterfood #characterbento #kidsmeal #bentoforkids #baon #foodie #nikkimbento #nintendo #mariobrothers #marioandluigi #plumbersbutt #oneup #extralife #classickid #90s #90skid #instafood #instagood #foodstagram #nomnomnom #yummy A photo posted by Nikki Garcia (@nikkimbento) on Oct 21, 2015 at 5:06am PDT.
Bento 56. I’ve been out of the bento loop these past couple of days. #TyphoonLando is making me want to hide in my shell.
Stay dry, dude. Cowabunga. • • • homemade mini pizza, chicken nuggets, fried rice & mixed veggies #nikkimbento #TMNT #michaelangelo #cowabunga #pinoyeats #foodie #nomnomnom #yummy #sundayblues #pizza #funfood #instafood #instagood #foodstagram #potd @cole_hernandez A photo posted by Nikki Garcia (@nikkimbento) on Oct 18, 2015 at 1:57am PDT.
Bento 60. Food and new friends. Cheers to a great weekend • • • native lumpia, chicken onigiri, steamed broccoli, sweet potato chips and fresh veggies #Repost @craftpartyph with @repostapp. ・・・ Grateful for sponsors who went the extra mile on providing Halloween themed giveaways to our Spooky Stamps Craft Party.
@nikkimbento created healthy snacks which kids & moms enjoyed. @biscuitkids gave away bow ties for the boys and hair ties for the girls. Appreciate the effort, Ladies. It was nice chatting with you, and knowing the stories behind your brands, too. #craftpartyph #biscuitkids #nikkimbento #spookystamps A photo posted by Nikki Garcia (@nikkimbento) on Oct 24, 2015 at 6:10am PDT.
Bento 50 Lunch. It’s not easy being green.
#TGIF I can’t wait to start decorating our house with spooky decor. Wishing us all an enjoyable & relaxing weekend ahead. • • • final bento this week, with bacon and egg onigiri, steamed broccoli and Mandarine Orange #nikkimbento #hellokitty #keroppi #sanrio #halloween #costume #kawaii #kawaiifood #kawaiibento #charaben #characterbento #kyaraben #friday #noms #yummy #snacktime #baon #inbento #imbento #inbentor #dressup #playwithyourfood #homemade #kitty #meow #bentoshopphHalloween2015 A photo posted by Nikki Garcia (@nikkimbento) on Oct 9, 2015 at 12:18am PDT.
Bento dinner 44. Good fright, good night.
• • • Onigiri with Mother-in-law’s lumpia (spring rolls), steamed broccoli and fresh tomatoes. #nikkimbento #trickortreat #halloween #frankenstein #frankie #charaben #kyaraben #kawaii #kawaiibento #kawaiifood #bentoshopphHalloween2015 A photo posted by Nikki Garcia (@nikkimbento) on Oct 1, 2015 at 7:49am PDT.
Bento lunch 41. Smile and be hoppy.
• • • chicken fingers, onigiri, quail egg and mixed vegetables. #nikkimbento #Tuesday #bunny #instafood #potd #bestofday #pickyeater #pickiesteater #foodieph A photo posted by Nikki Garcia (@nikkimbento) on Sep 28, 2015 at 9:48pm PDT.
Bento 31 snack.
simple pleasures • • • hazelnut spread on whole wheat, Mandarine orange and red grapes A photo posted by Nikki Garcia (@nikkimbento) on Sep 21, 2015 at 6:43am PDT.
Bento 17.
We ❤️ #Elmo • • • grape jelly on whole wheat, Egg Nog cookies, Bread pan and red grapes A photo posted by Nikki Garcia (@nikkimbento) on Sep 21, 2015 at 3:16am PDT.
Bento 12.
rainy days mean sleepy days • • • scrambled egg, brown rice, steamed broccoli and a Baby Bel cheese wheel A photo posted by Nikki Garcia (@nikkimbento) on Sep 21, 2015 at 2:06am PDT.
Bento 13.
For my Minnie • • • Mac and cheese, honey cured ham, corn & carrots, steamed broccoli and red grapes A photo posted by Nikki Garcia (@nikkimbento) on Sep 21, 2015 at 2:19am PDT.
Bento 8.
ELMO • • • a hurried morning called for a simple snack with a salted caramel spread on white toast, orange slices and Fuji Apple A photo posted by Nikki Garcia (@nikkimbento) on Sep 21, 2015 at 1:34am PDT.
Bento lunch 45.
Put a sock in it, monkey. • • • Final bento for the week with a ham & mozzarella sandwich, steamed broccoli and hard boiled egg #nikkimbento #characterbento #foodstagram #sockmonkey #friyay #TGIF A photo posted by Nikki Garcia (@nikkimbento) on Oct 1, 2015 at 9:40pm PDT.
Bento 55. Spooky breakfast for the boys and ghouls. Celebrating day 1 of semestral break.
Three kids home for 2 whole weeks. Tricks on me. • • • Rice balls with open-face meatloaf sandwiches, fresh cucumber, strawberries and apple wedge #nikkimbento #halloween #bentomommas #foodart #funfood #fingerfood #kidsmeal #trickortreat #charaben #charabento #characterbento #creativebento #creativefood #instagood #nomnomnom #yummy #breakfast #foodmorning #Thursday #kiddiebento #bentoforkids #kyaraben #kawaii #kawaiifood #kawaiibento @argentinameats A photo posted by Nikki Garcia (@nikkimbento) on Oct 14, 2015 at 6:29pm PDT.
Bento 57 Lunch?
Sometimes, we just need to embrace the rain. Personally, my best days are of the wet & soggiest of sort ☔️ Oh, how I love a big, cozy sweater • • • Plain onigiri, vegetable gyoza, hard boiled egg & Mandarine Orange #nikkimbento #sweaterweather #wet #typhoonlando #kawaii #kawaiifood #kawaiibento #raindrops #charaben #kyaraben #charabento #characterbento #creativefood #creativebento #lunchtime #snacktime #Tuesday #nomnomnom #yummy #foodie #foodieph #pinoyeats #playwithyourfood A photo posted by Nikki Garcia (@nikkimbento) on Oct 19, 2015 at 7:25pm PDT.
Bento 43 Snack. Sleep.
What is that. A late night and early start called for a simple pand-wich • • • seedless grapes paired with peanut butter & hazelnut on pink swirly loaf. #sleepisfortheweak #quickbento #lessismore #nikkimbento #lexngoph #charaben #kyaraben #kawaii #kawaiibento #kawaiifood #pickyeater #pickiesteater #bentomanila #bentoholic @cutezcute A photo posted by Nikki Garcia (@nikkimbento) on Sep 30, 2015 at 8:51pm PDT.